Comparison Analysis of School Foodservice Dietitians' Job Satisfaction, Work Value, and Turnover Intention Based on the Expectation to be a Nutrition Teacher

Cha, Myeong Hwa; Seo, Sun Hee

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the difference of school food service dietitians' work value, job satisfaction, and turnover intention based on their expectation to be a nutrition teacher. Also, this study explored the differences in expectation to be a nutrition teacher, work value, job satisfaction, turnover intention depending on demographics and school foodservice operational characteristics. This study surveyed dietitians who worked at school foodservice in Kyunggii and Daegu, Gyeoungbuk Province. A total of 509 responses were collected using on-site survey and online survey (59.3%). Dietitians expressed favorable work value (3.88+/-0.34) and mid level of a job satisfaction (2.99+/-0.64). The percentage of dietitians who had an intention to leave after the promulgation of a nutrition teacher system (13.2%) was lower than that of dietitians who had an intention to leave prior to it (23.2%). Most dietitians expected a salary rise (84.7%), more chance to teach nutrition education (76.0%), and the improvement of power not only as a teacher but as a dietitian (72.7%). Dietitians who had higher expectation levels to be a nutrition teacher (>3 on the 5 point Likert scale) showed a higher tendency of significant turnover intention (F=4.40, p<0.01) and more confident work value (F=15.292, p<0.001) when comparing those who had lower expectations. There were significant differences in work value, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and expectation to be a nutrition teacher depending on career length and employment status of dietitians. This study revealed that school food service dietitians have favorable expectations to be nutrition teachers with high work value.